collective feminism

Written by visiting intern Veronica Espaillat, this blog explores how feminists have used safe spaces (albeit under different names) to build trust and create shared agendas among women. Despite extraordinary contextual differences, she finds that variations of feminist safe spaces appear across contexts, changing women's lives for the better.

Sometimes you just don’t know where things will end up. In 2009, JASS held a series of movement building institutes (MBIs) in Southern Africa that were attended by feminist activists in the region. These institutes catalysed energy and intent in different ways. The young women from Zambia who participated in the MBIs returned to their homes determined to ensure that their societies and communities transform. As Wala Nalungwe says, “The flame that was lit at the MBIs it would not end there. We did not want that.

The work of women human rights defenders is essential to achieving democracy and peace, especially in violent contexts, and supporting their protection and wellbeing is vital. In Mexico and Central America, women defenders are organizing themselves amidst alarming violence against women and activists.